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Taylor Frankie Paul has a lot to be upset about these days.
After all, ABC canceled Paul’s season of The Bachelorette after the details of her 2023 domestic violence arrest were revealed,
But instead of reflecting on her own actions and asking what she might have done differently to avoid this outcome, Taylor is playing the victim.
In a recent social media post, Taylor addressed her Bachelorette firing, but rather than taking accountability, she blasted the press and social media users for sharing the video in which she’s seen assaulting then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
At one point in the footage, Taylor hurls several barstools at Dakota, one of which allegedly struck her daughter, who was seated nearby.
“Worst part is my daughter, [Indy], having to relive and see it all over again years later after extensive work with her and apologies [sic] to her about that night,” Paul tweeted on Monday.
The situation has been playing out publicly for weeks, and this is the first time that Taylor has mentioned her daughter’s reaction.
Indy was just five at the time of the incident. Now, at eight, she likely has a whole new understanding of the terrifying ordeal.
Taylor expanded on her daughter’s reaction to the scandal in a statement issued to People.
“I have a daughter who has been reliving seeing a video that she should’ve never seen,” Paul said, adding:
“I have a daughter who has had to hear people describe a video that she should’ve never heard described.”
According to Paul, her daughter has been hurt not only by the existence of the footage itself, but by the way people in the public sphere have talked about it:
“My daughter has continued to suffer the consequences of the actions of her father. My daughter deserves love and care. My daughter deserves her innocence,” she explained.
Paul said her goal in speaking out wasn’t to engage in an online debate, but to highlight how the situation has affected her child.
“This isn’t about fan wars, opinions, or narratives,” she wrote. “This is about a child seeing something no child should ever have to see.”
She also called for people to consider the real human beings involved when they comment or speculate on the situation:
“There is a human being on the other side of a screen,” Paul added. “There is a child on the other side of a screen.”
That’s good advice for everyone to keep in mind. But not surprisingly, Taylor’s latest comments have not been terribly well received, as many fans think she’s still positioning herself as a victim.
